ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spring — of water
  5. mug — a cup
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mug — a face
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — a division
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com